Alternative Climate Controls for Historic Buildings

The roundtable at the library of the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Spain. Photo: Bart Ankersmit

In April 2007, the Getty Conservation Institute organized the Experts' Roundtable on Sustainable Climate Management Strategies in Tenerife, Spain. The objectives of the roundtable were to exchange knowledge and experiences; to identify areas in need of further study or new research; and to identify opportunities for education and training in this subject. The event was hosted by the Autonomous Organization of Museums and Centers of Tenerife Island Government, the GCI's local project partner for testing and implementing an alternative climate control system.

Background
Over the last two decades, management and control of the museum environment have been important topics for the GCI. The Institute's Science department has carried out several projects investigating the economical and sustainable applicability of alternatives to conventional air-conditioning systems to establish and maintain preservation-favorable indoor climates for collections in hot and humid climates.

Henk Schellen and Sarah Stanisforth. Photo: Foekje Boersma

The GCI's education department offered a series of courses in preventive conservation, focusing on the management of the environmental conditions under which collections are housed and used. Based on the growing need to adapt to global climate change, along with a call for more sustainable strategies, the GCI believed it was time for an interdisciplinary dialogue about the museum environment, specifically the indoor climate. A group of international experts—including architects, engineers, conservators and conservation scientists with an established record in the fields of environmental research, management or control—were invited to participate in a two-day discussion on sustainable climate management strategies and alternatives to conventional air-conditioning systems for cultural institutions.

Visit to the Museo de Antropología in Valle Guerra. Photo: Foekje Boersma

Abstract of Roundtable Discussions
Topics addressed during the two-day roundtable included current climate management strategies and emerging trends; the meaning of sustainability in relation to the preservation of cultural heritage; and whether cultural institutions such as museums, archives, and libraries can or should play a role in the debate about energy consumption. The group agreed on the importance of managing environmental conditions in a responsible manner with respect to cost and energy consumption. Several areas for further research were identified: Collecting data on the cost of control (energy consumption, installation and maintenance costs) by comparing building types with different degrees of control in different climate zones against actual indoor climate conditions could result in an extremely useful overview. This comparison could help decision makers determine the level of control they want and the level they can afford.

Another research topic identified was the validation and fine tuning of computer models increasingly used in the design process of buildings and systems. It was also suggested the field could benefit from additional research on the response of different materials to short-term fluctuations. While a large amount of scientific data and practical experience already exists on this subject, recording proven fluctuations of objects and collections in the field would provided needed data.

Dario Camuffo and Ernest Conrad. Photo: Foekje Boersma

The group stressed that knowledge and experience in technologies appropriate for museums should be disseminated more widely. The participants felt those involved in environmental management strategies for museums—not only conservators, but architects and engineers who work in this sector—could benefit from continual professional development through education, training, and the dissemination of information.

We are pleased to make available the proceedings from this experts' roundtable. Included in the proceedings are the discussions papers submitted by the experts prior to the roundtable; an edited transcript of the roundtable discussion, and a bibliography of the participants' published works on climate management. The proceedings were edited by Foekje Boersma, GCI Education, with input from Education and Science department staff.